The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1887-05-11
CAPTURING LARGE GAME,
VIVID ACCOUNT OF AN ELEPHANT
DRIVE IN INDIA.
Driving a Herd of 136 Mammoth
Beasts Into a Stockade--Pictur-
esuue and Lively Scenes.

pnanJS were, contrary TO our expectation
and to their habits hitherto, all together
in one large gathering. To arrive at the
stockade they had first to reach a small
level plateau on the top of the hill, from
which they were to be DETECTED to their
left down slope, at the foot of which
was the stockade, well screened in the
jungle. The two guiding palisades or
wings, converging to the gate of the
stockade, were run up the hillside the
distance of some 200 yards, at fifty yards
apart Three fire lines were made through
the prairie across the space between the
guiding palisades, one joining them at
their extreme ends, one half way down,
and one about sixty yards from the gate
On these lines dry grass was stacked in
bundles and hidden by green leaves,
ready to be fired when the ele-
plants had crossed the path. The
drive was well managed, the herd being
kept together and not overdriven, which
often causes a herd to break up into
small parties. The wind favored us, and
the elephants were got to the plateau
near the mouth of the funnel-like
approach to the gate without very much
trouble. Here the men closed in from
all sides, directed by spies in the trees,
as the grass was too high for those on
foot to see what the elephants were
doing. As the herd trooped past my
post at the end of one of the palisades, it
seemed as if the procession would never
end; my veteran gun bearer, Jatfa,
whispered they were as the insects of the
forest. Tuskers, females and young
animals of all sizes bundled along, those
in the rear finally showing good deal of
apprehension as the hunters began to
close in on them. The moment the last
had crossed the outermost fire line, the
spies sounded their rattles, as if by magic,
cracking line of flame extended along
the hillside, joining the extreme ends of
the palisade, and cutting off retreat.
Immediately the hitherto comparative
silence of the drive was broken by yelling
and blank firing from all sides, and the
elephants hurried forward in a crowd, no
longer following any leader, but each
striving not to be last. They soon crossed
the second fire line and at a signal from
a fog horn-barely audible in the din of
elephants and men-active fellows raced
forward from both ends with torches,
and in a few seconds this line was wall
of fire.
''The third line was similarly fired
when the herd had passed, and now the
fun waxed fast and furious. Some of the
elephants went into the stockade at once.
but huge male with the right tusk only
(such elephants are called Gunesh, and
certain castles of Hindus reverence them)
took up his position in the gateway,
which was only eleven feet wide, and no
elephant could pass him. The scene now
was extraordinary, and Colonel and Mrs.
Graham Smith, from a platform in a tree
near, had an excellent view of it. The
space between the converging palisades
was tightly packed by truggling mass
OF elephants for many yards from the
gate. Every vestige of jungle had dis
appeared, and the men were skirmishing
with blank cartrides and torches of
blazing grass up to within twenty yards
less of the elephants, and a shower of
sticks and clods was kept up over the
palisades by those outside. The roaring
of the youngsters of the herd, which
were being trampled and squeezed, com
bined with the noise of rattles, guns,
and Of the fire consuming the Jungle be-
tween the palisades in the direction
whence the elephants had come, made it
impossible to make ones self heard bv
any one even at ones elbow. l fired sew
eral charges of shot into the rearmost of
the elephants, though really l thought
them little to blame for not moving on:'
1t was not for want of will or push
ing, as the angle of their hind
legs as they bored desperately into the
mass before them mutely testified! At
last the opposition gave way; the Gunesh
and Others which were stopping the way
were borne onward into the stockade by
the pressure behind, and the animals be-
hind made renewed exertions to get away
from the terrible sights and sounds so
close behind them. Only one elephant
broke back; she careered through the
men, who escaped in the most marvellous
manner; in her terror she went through
the tire lines, a most unusual proceeding
for an elephant. She unfortunately killed
a man on the surround some two miles
from the stockade, after which no more
was seen of her.
when | saw the elephants STRUGGLING
before the gate l never believed that so
many 136 as it turned OUT could by any
possibility get into a stockade 215 feet in
circumference. The area was even less
than that of circle Of similar circumfer-
ence, as our stockades have thirteen
straight sides Of fifteen feet each and the
gate side Of twenty feet. We never ex-
pected our stockades would hold over 100
elephants; sixty-fve was the greatest
number we had ever impounded before.
though l must say they had plenty of
room when the resistance was overcome
and the final struggle to get into the stock
ade began. The thing seemed impossible
after seeing the elephants half covering a
hillside or trooping along in single file
One wave to the man who stood over the
gate rope with his axe, and the ponder
GUS gate come down on to the backs of
the last few elephants and as thev strag-
oled from under it, and it fell into posi-
tion, it was quickly lashed by many will
ing hands.
Immediately everybody went to work
to strengthen the stockade. Itwas neye,
really in danger, but we made assurance
doubly sure. A supplemental stoclade